Wednesday, February 8, 2017

A quarter of US men are infected by oncogenic HPV strains

According to a survey called the National Health and
Nutrition Examination from 2013 to 2014 collected data from 2,000 men aged
18-59 showed that 45% of American men are infected with HPV and 25% are
infected by oncogenic strains.

The oncogenic strains of HPV are associated with nearly
30,000 different types of cancers. Men are particularly at risk for cancers of
the mouth, throat, and penis. Although penile cancer is rare, it has a high
mortality rate. Approximately 63% of penile cancers are due to HPV infection.

Although the HPV vaccine has been available to men since
2011, the CDC reports that only 10% of men get vaccinated. Perhaps the results
of this survey in conjunction with new information about HPV-related cancers in
men will encourage men to get vaccinated.